Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-07-01

houn, and he has reported all Of the noted
senators for the past generation. He told me
one day that he thought the men of the pres
emit speak faster than did those of the past,
and be said that Webster did not average over
one hundred words minute and that Calhoun
was very slow until he became reused up
with the enthusiasm Of his subject.
The present average of speaking I'm the
United States Senate is $50 words q minute,
though there are a number of speakers who
utter over 200. Senator Beck is one Of the
fastest speakers of the senate and George, of
Mississippi, is perhaps the slowest. Hawley
and Morgan talk very rapidly, and Plumb
| saws the air while he rises and falls between
$50 and 200 words a minute. Murphy once
| reported Beck for six hours when he was run
ming at the 200 word rate. He tells me that
ex-senator Sargent was very fast speaker,
and that he once spoke for two hours, utter
ing $4,000 words inf this time, or at the rate
OF 200 words per minute.
~
McElhone has also been here since 1850, and
he was noted stenographer as q boy He
was in the senate when Benton and Foote
had their quarrel, i'll which Foote drew his
pistol on Benton. In the report Of the trouble
Thomas Benton said he relied upon the &C.
curacy of the notes of Master McElhone
McElhone, like Murphy, is well posted on law.
He has studied it, and has been admitted to
the bar of the supreme court He has been
newspaper man too, and he aided Forney
n the establishment of The Philadelnbia
Press. McElhone is a great collector of
autographs, and he has manuscript speeches
by all the noted men of the country. These
addresses were delivered and the manuscript
handed over to him for the veriication of
his notes He kept these from time to time.
and how his collection is invaluable
Speaking OF stenography reminds me of a
story which Senator Sherman tells of one Of
his experiences during the Kansas troubles of
1857:
The congressional committee had a stenoe-
lapher to keep a record of their meetings
Shorthand was then practically unknown in
the west. The pot hook hieroglyphics of the
shorthand man were wonder to the pioneers
of the frontier, and Senator Sherman de-
scilhes an interview which he had with one
of these border rufflians. The man entered
l he committee room swearing violently. He
denounced the government in the strongest
terms, and went on in a long TRADE, in which
he used some very forcible language. When
ne had nnlshed Mr. Sherman said to him: ~
90 not believe you mean all you say, do your
Inc ruiflan replied that he did, emphasizing
his reply with an oath.
"But," continued Mr. Sherman. fare Won
sure you are willing to stand to ali Won have
'aida Suppose have your remarks read to
you,' and with that Mr.. Sherman asked the
'tenographer, who was sitting in another
part OF the room, to read the notes of the
mans conversation, which, at a wink from
Mr.. Sherman, he had taken down, |
AS the reporter began to read the drunken |
jaw fell; his eyes bulged out. He |
vas astounded at the miracle of memory
Nhich was apparently being performed. |
W hen the reporter had concluded he asked IN
ZEE his notes. The paper was handed him.
md he looked at the hooks in dazed wav
nd then raising his hand franticalK to his
"rahead, exclaimed:
Snakes, by thunder!'
Xxx
The systems of shorthand most us.d at
ashlngton are Pitman's, Graham's and Mum
ons. There is an Englishman among
lurphys amanuenses who writes Gurnev's
stem and who has worked under the Cur.
eys' the parliamentary reporters of England.
lie does not think Glrney's shorthand is as
God as the system used here. 1t is har,.er /,
earn and takes longer to write. The Gurnevs
o the chief work of the English parliament.
hough they do not report its daily debates
hese are left to the newspapers or private
arties Handsard's Debates are gotten I'D bv
rivate parties, and though they are not as
omplete as our Congressional Record thew
re very valuable
The Record costs $3.50 900 year to print.
nd this does not include the money spent for
northand. 1t comprises everything that is
aid upon the floor Of congress, and num-
er OF volumes, each of which will contain as
luch matter as family Bible, are issued
very session. For a long time congress had no
icial report Of Its proceedings, and the first
'ngressional reporter was Joseph Gales.
le father of the Gales, who. with Seaton'
IF long time edited The National Intelli-
shcer. Gales had to fee from England on
count OF expressing revolutionary senti-
ents In l792, and he studied his shorthand
/ the sailing vessel which took him across
e Atlantic. He obtained an appointment
reporter for congress for one of the Phila-
Phia papers, and his reports we're con.
tered miraculous. He taught his son short
ma, ana 1t was this son who was the senior
rtner of Gales g. Seaton. Mrs Goles tho
ne OF this son, took the speech of Daniel
ebster against Hayne in 1880, and Webster
ERECTED the notes. He was so much pleased
tn the preservation of the speech that. II is
ID, he made Mrs. Gales present of a dia.
ond necklace for the service, n
FRANK G. CARPENTER,